Should we add offers to our cancellation flow, and what are the rules?
A good cancellation flow learns why people leave and saves some. A hostile one creates complaints and legal risk.
- Can we make cancelling harder?
- Should we offer discounts?
- What do the rules say?
Make cancelling easy to find and finish online. Ask one reason question, then offer something relevant: a pause for "not using it now", a cheaper plan for "too expensive". Don't add endless screens. In the US, ROSCA and many state auto-renewal laws apply; a court struck down the FTC's 2024 click-to-cancel rule in 2025, but the older rules remain. Canadian provinces have their own consumer protection laws.
A fair flow
- Cancel link easy to find.
- One reason question.
- One relevant offer.
- Confirmation by email.
- Easy to come back.
How we look at it at ShoutEx
We design cancellation flows that learn and save without trapping users. Cancellation flow UX covers design.
- Hidden cancel buttons.
- Phone-only cancellation.
- Endless offers.
- No confirmation.
- Easy to find.
- Reason captured.
- Relevant offer.
- Confirmation sent.
What founders and platforms say
Here is what regulators and founders say.
Simple cancellation for online subscriptions.
Read the FTC page →Community summaries describe recurring themes in public threads, not individual posts. Vendor pages describe vendor claims, so test them on your own calls.
Read next
Go deeper in the ShoutEx guides, or check the sources behind this answer.
We'll design a fair cancellation flow.
Book a call →Follow-up questions
Can app store subscriptions use our flow?
Store subscriptions cancel through the store.
Is a pause option allowed?
Yes, if cancelling stays easy.
Do Canadian rules differ by province?
Yes. Check where your users live.